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Review: The Help

September 4, 2011

I loved this book! With all the controversy surrounding the book and the movie, I was afraid that I wasn't going to like it. I finished the book this week and I saw the movie tonight with my aunt and grandmother. This was the only book and movie combo where I cried at the end of both of them. I loved the fact that there were white women in that book that loved and were appreciative of their maids. My favorite two characters were Minny and Celia. The relationship between the two of them was hilarious and kept me reading just to get back to them. Being a native Mississippian and recently moving to the Jackson metro area, the book just seemed so alive to me because I could picture those places on my mind as I read.

I am quite convinced that those who are mad at the movie haven't read the book. What people fail to realize is that the book and the movie were not targeted for the African American audience. We live with racism on a daily basis and have heard first hand accounts from parents and grandparents. This was targeted toward the white audience. These books and movies are important for those who have white privilege. It lets them know exactly what the struggles are.....and how they haven't changed.